Are you ready for the George W. Bush portrait exhibition?

posted at 11:21 am on April 4, 2014 by Allahpundit

The showstopper is the one of Putin, which nails those dead, beady eyes. He looks even more like a Bond villain here than he does in real life.

The Times wonders why the public is so intrigued by Dubya’s second career:

Many have wondered whether Mr. Bush is working through some unresolved issues through his art, but friends say it is a way of channeling a restless spirit now that he has left politics behind. “Fundamentally, he’s a guy with a lot of energy,” said Mark McKinnon, his former political consultant. “And he needs a pursuit to help burn it off. And it may seem counterintuitive, but it’s also how he relaxes.”

Mr. Bush is not the first presidential painter. Ulysses S. Grant studied painting while at West Point and produced landscapes and western scenes. Dwight D. Eisenhower picked up the hobby later in life, after World War II, but still produced scores of known paintings. Jimmy Carter has painted nature scenes and one of his works was even sold at auction for $250,000 in 2012 for charity.

Somehow, though, Mr. Bush’s dabbling seems to have captured more attention, if for no other reason than it seemed surprising that the “war president,” as he liked to call himself, had an artistic side – one that even he apparently did not know about. Just as surprising was that his early work drew generous reviews from some art critics not known for conservative politics.

Right. The caricature of Bush as an incurious brute is so entrenched in some quarters that this can’t help but seem revelatory. To liberals, it must be like watching a chimp play piano. Beyond that, though, it confounds the public suspicion that politicians have no hobbies except politics. I remember a comedian, maybe Dennis Miller, noting years ago that people were bowled over when candidate Bill Clinton played saxophone on the Arsenio Hall show because it suggested that he had interests apart from accumulating power. (Little did we know.) Not too many “soulful” pols running around D.C. lately, or so it often seems. It’s amusing that the left’s least favorite one is among them.

Can’t wait until former President Obama starts writing poetry or whatever. What rhymes with “stinkburger”?

Can’t wait until former President Obama starts writing poetry or whatever. What rhymes with “stinkburger”?

Oh please! The rat-eared wonder is clearly only semi-literate (remember corpse-man) and intellectually incurious to the point he confuses the Malvinas for the Maldives in a speech where he was sucking up to the socialists of Argentina. He calls Hawaii part of Asia. He signs the wrong day and year at Westminster Abbey.

Unless reading the teleprompter becomes “a thing” then he’ll just leave creative endeavors to Bill Ayers (or some other cop-killing terrorist) to write his post-Presidency memiors while he goes off and golfs or something.

I’d argue that GWB found peace and passion in his life long before he ever became President. That’s one of the things that drove the left crazy. GWB knew who he was and not some fake facade like a serial rapist from Arkansas or a community agitator from Chicago. Facades of respectability produced by millions of dollars in image making (Some people even think that Obama is highly intelligent and a decent human being).

GWB was happy to go to the ranch and clear brush. The media, which had been used to the trips to the Cape with the Clintons, were less endeared with having to spend August in Waco.

I’d argue that GWB found peace and passion in his life long before he ever became President. That’s one of the things that drove the left crazy. GWB knew who he was and not some fake facade like a serial rapist from Arkansas or a community agitator from Chicago. Facades of respectability produced by millions of dollars in image making (Some people even think that Obama is highly intelligent and a decent human being).

GWB was happy to go to the ranch and clear brush. The media, which had been used to the trips to the Cape with the Clintons, were less endeared with having to spend August in Waco.

Oh, I don’t know about that. From the pictures his work, while crude, doesn’t seem any worse than some of the stuff I’ve seen shown by so-called “professional” artists. Personally, it’s impressive that he started in on portraits instead of bowls of fruit or something.

Oh, I don’t know about that. From the pictures his work, while crude, doesn’t seem any worse than some of the stuff I’ve seen shown by so-called “professional” artists. Personally, it’s impressive that he started in on portraits instead of bowls of fruit or something.

Happy Nomad on April 4, 2014 at 1:55 PM

Well I’m a figurative painter…so I wish he’d study the figure and not rely on photographs. If he were my student he’d be doing that. He’s ambitious and that’s a good thing…He challenges himself.

In terms of ideas…he’s doing well narratively.

My observations have to do with technique which is still rough.

That said the paintings can’t be judged accurately from photos…no paintings can…so I’ll go see them.

Love this…I also loved that statement he made about 10 years ago who would of thought he would be painting and his daughter would be working at NBC, made me literally lol…What a kind, decent soul he is